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Wait, it’s May already?! Where has the time gone? We need to get crackin’ on these Metroidvania games!

That’s right, the May Community Game-Along theme is Metroidvania games! I’m really excited for #MetroidvaniaMay to make a comeback, as it was one of the first themes once I started these events back in 2014. Since this post is coming a bit late this month, I’ll cut right to the chase: if you’d like to participate, all you have to do is play any game that qualifies as a “Metroidvania” title (and believe me, there is a lot of debate on what is and what isn’t). Be sure to share your experiences in thoughts using #MetroidvaniaMay so all the other participants can join in the fun!

Bob’s Magical Chainsaw: A Lumberjack’s Tale (Browser) – Chic Pixel Plus’ very own Sarah O’Donnell helped make this free browser-based game last month for low rez jam, and since it has light Metroidvania mechanics, it’s perfect for this month’s Game-Along! If you’d like to hear a little about the process of making the game, she talks all about it on episode 43 of Chic Pixel Plus.

Salt and Sanctuary(PlayStation 4) – If you want to play a timely new release, Salt and Sanctuary just came out for PS4 this past March and has received praise for basically being a 2D Dark Souls game with Castlevania elements. It certainly has the dark vibe down!

Rabi-Rabi(PC) – Perhaps you prefer your Metroidvania with a dash of moe and bullet hell shooter? Then look no further than Rabi-Rabi! It also packs a good bang for your buck with loads of content and a hefty difficulty for true Metroidvania savants.

Valdis Story: Abyssal City (PC, Mac) – It’s always great to see a Kickstarter success story, and Valdis Story: Abyssal City is exactly that! Unfortunately I can’t say much else about this action platformer with RPG and Metroidvania elements, but from what I’ve heard, it’s considered one of the best recent releases in the genre!

What will you be playing for Metroidvania May? Share your picks and suggestions in the comments!

We’re already three days into April, which means we’re well into the Yuzo Koshiro Community Game-Along! After the Yoko Shimomura theme back in December, I wanted to make sure to feature another video game composer, and who better than the man of Ys, Streets of Rage, and Etrian Odyssey fame?! Though I can’t take full credit for the idea – Nitro of the MDisk Playlist podcast had me on to discuss Yuzo Koshiro a couple weeks back, prompting me to tie in April’s Community Game-Along theme. Be sure to give the episode a listen for an awesome overview of his impressive career!

It’s finally time for the 3rd annual Monster Hunter Community Game-Along! I originally dedicated a month to Monster Hunter and the various hunting games the series has inspired back in 2014 for its 10th anniversary, but now it’s become a mainstay of my Community Game-Alongs together with JRPG July. If you’re not a fan of Monster Hunter, never fear, as any hunting-like game is eligible for this month’s theme. So grab your title of choice, and let’s get hunting!

If you’re on social media, you can share your experiences with your chosen title or recommend games to other participants using #MonMonth. I’m always following along, so you just might get featured!

Aside from the obvious Monster Hunter games, there are a handful of other titles from Freedom Wars to Bloodborne that would count for this month’s theme. You can head over to my original MonMonth post for some suggestions, but here are a couple more recent picks that you might like to try!

Final Fantasy Explorers (3DS) – This is the Monster Hunter game for Final Fantasy fans! While it takes a lot of inspiration from Monster Hunter, it doesn’t have nearly as steep a learning curve, making it a great first foray into this style of game. Plus, you can dress your character up like iconic Final Fantasy characters! Since this was recently released, it should still be getting a lot of action online.

Toukiden Kiwami (PS4, Vita) – The sequel to Toukiden: The Age of Demons, Kiwami is a great pick if Japanese folklore-inspired monsters are more up your alley. It’s about as close as we’ll get to playing a current-gen Monster Hunter game on a home console for the time being, too. Luckily, it’s a very solid hunting game from the Dynasty Warriors crew.

As for me, I’m going to finally attempt to play MonHan Nikki: Poka Poka Airou Mura DX, a cute Monster Hunter spinoff game for the 3DS featuring the adorable cat critters known as felynes. Let’s see if I actually find time to dedicate to it!

Just follow the prompts in the Gleam widget below to enter. Be aware that you must leave a comment stating whether you would like a North American code, European code, or Australian/New Zealand code. There will be one winner for each region! Additional entries can be made by completing a variety of actions, so be sure to do as many as you can for more chances to win! Giveaway ends February 8th at 11:59 EST. Good luck!

Fishing games often get a bad rap, or at the very least largely ignored, which makes them a great candidate for the Chic Pixel Community Game-Along! I love themes that highlight under-appreciated genres and titles, which is why this February is all about celebrating how fun video game fishing can be.

Any and all games that have fishing as a significant gameplay element qualify for this month’s theme, so grab a title that appeals to you and start casting some lines! Share your favorite fishing game picks, experience playing your chosen title, or even some choice fishing gameplay videos using #FishingFebruary on your social media of platform of choice so other participants can see! Whether you stick to classics such as Sega Bass Fishing and Fishing Resort or broaden your horizons to fishing in MMOs, I hope you enjoy this laid-back Game-Along theme!

Fishing Planet (PC, Mac) – Fishing Planet is an online first-person fishing simulator that is currently available for early access on Steam, and while I normally wouldn’t suggest an early access game, there’s no denying the rave reviews this game has received so far. If you’re looking for a low barrier of entry into this month’s Game-Along theme, Fishing Planet is certainly it, as it’s 100% free to play!

Fantasy Life (3DS) – This is a great example of a game that isn’t a traditional fishing game, but features fishing as a strong component if that’s how you want to play the game. Play as the Angler life class for an adorable fish-filled RPG experience!

Let’s Fish! Hooked On (Vita) – Want your fish with a dash of moe? Look no further than Let’s Fish! Hooked On, my personal candidate for best video game title localization ever. If I’m being honest, this title isn’t the best fishing game on the block, but if cute anime characters and a hilarious title are enough to sell you on it, then I certainly won’t stop you!

Fishing Resort (Wii) – I will never stop hollering about Fishing Resort. One of the most overlooked games on the Wii, Fishing Resort is not only an amazingly adorable (and fun!) fishing game, but the resort setting has you dressing up your Mii-like avatar and exploring various islands in a manner not often found in straight-up fishing games. I’m so in love with this title that I even recorded a short gameplay video to illustrate how neat it is.

This month I’m finally going to fire up my copy of Fantasy Life, as I’m in the middle of moving and don’t have access to most of my games. But honestly, I’m overdue to start Fantasy Life anyway, and I’m really excited to see how the Angler class plays! What will you be playing for #FishingFebruary? Share your picks in the comments!

Can you believe it’s been two years since I started doing Community Game-Alongs here at Chic Pixel? I certainly can’t! What began as a month dedicated to celebrating Nihon Falcom games has evolved into a fun event where every month of the year is designated a new video game-related theme, and I’m so excited to continue it into 2016.

If you’re new to the Community Game-Along, fundamentally it’s very simple: all you have to do is play at least one game that fits the theme of the month. Try a title you’ve never played before, revisit an old favorite, or share your experiences with others… As long as it fits the theme, how you choose to join in is up to you! For those that like to plan ahead, I’ve compiled a full list of the themes for 2016:

January – Dating Sims
February – Fishing games (suggested by @_Kimimi!)
March – Monster Hunter-likes
April – Yuzo Koshiro (composer)
May – Metroidvania
June – Media tie-in games (suggested by @BadoorSNK!)
July – JRPGs
August – PlatinumGames
September – Strategy games
October – Horror games
November – Erotic (R18+/adult content) games
December – Hudson Soft games

All of a sudden, here we are at the last Community Game-Along of 2015! For this occasion, I wanted to do something a little special… So, for the first time ever, this month’s theme is a video game composer! I’d like to highlight Yoko Shimomura, a Japanese composer who is most famous for her work on the Kingdom Hearts series, but you’ve probably heard her melodies in one of the many games on her resume. If you’d like to learn more about her amazing career, check out the Shimomura episode of the M-Disk Playlist podcast I guested on a few months ago!

If you’d like to participate in the December Game-Along, just play a game featuring music composed by Yoko Shimomura (it can even be just one track, we’re flexible here at Chic Pixel). It wouldn’t be a Game-Along without social media integration, so use #ShimomuraMonth to share your experiences with others! Some folks have already been posting their favorite tracks and game recommendations, so be sure to join in – photos of games featuring Shimomura’s music, let’s plays of your chosen title… there are countless ways to participate! If you can’t decide what to play, here are a few titles worth checking out that aren’t Kingdom Hearts:

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam(Nintendo 3DS) – Let’s start with something topical! Yoko Shimomura has done the music in all of the Mario & Luigi games, with Paper Jam being the latest entry in the series. Well, it just so happens to be releasing in December in Japan in Europe! Sorry, North America, but you’ll have to wait until January for this one. If you’re itchin’ to play a Mario & Luigi game in the meantime, you can get some of them on the Wii U’s virtual console, or try the previous entry on the 3DS, Dream Team Bros.

Radiant Historia (Nintendo DS) – For a recent but more traditional JRPG, try Radiant Historia. Though it went largely under the radar when it was originally released, it’s extremely well regarded and will definitely scratch any RPG itches you might have. I still haven’t had a chance to boot up my copy, so I can’t say much more than that, but I don’t think it’d disappoint!

Parasite Eve (PSone) – Though still an RPG (Shimomura’s forte), Parasite Eve was unique for taking aspects of horror titles such as Resident Evil and transforming traditional role-playing game mechanics. The creepy cool soundtrack is also one of my personal favorites! If you’ve played the first game in the series and would like to check out the others, keep in mind that Shimomura did not compose II, but did return for the less stellar 3rd Birthday on PSP.

Legend of Mana (PSone) – Though Legend of Mana has not been received as favorably as previous titles in the series, many point to it as one of Yoko Shimomura’s strongest soundtracks. This also happens to be the game I’ll be trying out this month, since I’ve never played it! Wouldn’t it be fun to join in a playthrough with your pal Anne?

Of course there are many more possibilities, and there’s definitely nothing wrong with celebrating with a little Kingdom Hearts goodness! What will you be playing this month?